WASHINGTON –(ENEWSPF)–September 26, 2016. 86 national civil and human rights, faith, and environmental groups are urging Congress to include immediate aid for Flint, Michigan, in the Continuing Resolution to fund the government before the congressional recess. The people of Flint, a low-income and majority-minority community, have been suffering from over-exposure to lead for more than a year without any emergency aid.

“Congress must act to address emergencies whenever and wherever they occur, and the need is most acute when our most vulnerable communities are struck by disaster. This is true regardless of whether a disaster strikes in a red state, a blue state, or a purple state,” the groups wrote to Congress in a letter sent earlier today. “We are deeply concerned that the people of Flint, Michigan have been waiting for more than a year for emergency assistance. They require immediate aid, and further delays are unacceptable as a matter of basic decency and fairness.”

“The Flint water crisis has impacted thousands of families and exposed more than 10,000 children to high concentrations of lead in their drinking and bathwater,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “There is no way to rectify this injustice, but the federal government can help clean up the mess caused by the state of Michigan by helping the families who are suffering the most.”